A boom in the home improvement industry has resulted in a flood of new products and information being released into the market directed at the do-it-yourselfer as well as the contractor. Home improvement enthusiasts are now tackling more complicated projects around the house. To complete any project safely it is important to have the proper tools. Painting or staining high walls and installing overhead lighting, crown molding or other ceiling detail requires a steady platform from which to work. High ladders can be unsteady as well as inconvenient because they offer little space for equipment and limit mobility. Ideally, for completing high projects, work is conducted on scaffolding. To work from the safety and convenience of scaffolding however a homeowner must rent a scaffolding system from an equipment rental store. Rented scaffolding consists of large steel frame members that are braced to support tiers of the scaffold. This scaffolding is heavy to transport, cumbersome to assemble and move and expensive to rent. Many attempts have been made to produce lightweight, portable scaffolding (U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,272,957; 3,098,540; 4,823,913; 6,070,696 and 6,712,182 B1: U.S. Patent Application Publications US 2002/0178683 A1 and US 2004/0016600 A1) but few alternatives to the traditional heavy, bulky scaffolding are available. A need remains for inexpensive, lightweight scaffolding that is easy to use and provides homeowners and contractors a safe, sturdy platform from which to work.
All patents, patent applications, provisional patent applications and publications referred to or cited herein, are incorporated by reference in their entirety to the extent they are not inconsistent with the explicit teachings of the specification.